William M. Katz, Jr.

Our culture emphasizes teamwork and an unqualified commitment to excellence and is a key reason for our success. T&K was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017 among the most highly recognized law firms in the U.S.

Thompson & Knight is a growing Firm that recognizes the importance of hiring qualified lawyers, paralegals, and administrative professionals who can contribute to the growth of our practice and support our diverse client base. We are committed to the success of each employee and the impact they have on the future growth of Thompson & Knight.

Bill Katz focuses his practice on complex business litigation and arbitration matters, with a focus on energy, antitrust, securities, healthcare, and corporate governance issues. He represents clients before federal and state trial and appellate courts, arbitration panels, and administrative agencies.

Bill also has expertise in internal investigations, representation of audit committees, and the design and implementation of compliance and training programs.

Chambers USA directories have praised Bill for his ability to develop "effective strategies in complex disputes" and his "good reputation, which is well deserved," and describe him as "very knowledgeable" and an "A+ litigator who would be on anyone's list of lawyers if you had a problem."

Experience

Represented a manufacturer in a lawsuit involving claims of monopolization and attempted monopolization

Represented an insurance company in a lawsuit involving price-fixing allegations

Represented a manufacturer in an adjudicatory proceeding before the Federal Trade Commission involving price-fixing allegations

Represented a group of physicians in an adjudicatory proceeding before the Federal Trade Commission involving price-fixing allegations

Represented an international offshore drilling company in a class action lawsuit alleging a conspiracy among drilling companies to fix the wages and benefits paid to their offshore workers

Represented a steel company in a lawsuit involving an international conspiracy among graphite-electrode manufacturers to fix the price and allocate the volume of electrodes sold in the United States and elsewhere

Represented several charitable organizations in a nationwide class action lawsuit alleging a conspiracy to fix the rates of return for charitable gift annuities

Currently representing an international energy company and its affiliates in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract

Represented an international energy company’s affiliate in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract

Represented a health care provider in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract related to a stock purchase agreement

Represented a major transportation company in a proceeding to vacate an arbitration award

Represented an international energy company in an ICC arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and declaratory relief

Represented an international energy company in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and declaratory relief

Represented two international energy companies in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for declaratory relief regarding the interpretation of an oil-and-gas contract

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in connection with the confirmation of an ICDR arbitration award

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and other relief

Represented an independent energy company in a AAA arbitration involving the breach of a purchase-and-sale agreement for certain oil and gas assets

Represented a large electronics-manufacturing-services company in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment

Securities and Corporate Governance

Represented a shareholder in a lawsuit to enjoin a proposed merger in the financial services industry

Represented a technology company and several of its officers and directors in a class action lawsuit involving alleged violations of federal securities laws

Represented a corporation and two shareholders in a jury trial involving the prosecution of claims against a publicly traded medical device manufacturer and its officers and directors for securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract

Represented a technology company and its officers and directors in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, tortious interference, and breach of contract

Represented an energy company and its board of directors in a class action lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a merger and acquisition

Represented a luxury retailer and its board of directors in a class action lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a merger and acquisition

Represented the audit committee of a large technology-outsourcing company in connection with internal investigation of issues raised by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Complex Business Issues

Currently representing a publicly traded REIT in lawsuits involving claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, and conspiracy

Currently representing an oilfield services company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, and conspiracy

Currently representing a medical device manufacturer in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a class action lawsuit involving the alleged failure to pay royalties owed on flared natural gas

Represented a hospital in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract and other relief

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a lawsuit involving claims for indemnification and other equitable relief

Represented an international energy company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract

Represented a master limited partnership in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract

Represented an international energy company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and promissory estoppel

Represented a major transportation company in a class action lawsuit involving claims for negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty arising from the tax treatment of a special dividend

Represented a publicly traded REIT in a lawsuit involving claims for tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets, and conspiracy

Represented a publicly traded REIT in a lawsuit involving claims for trespass

Represented several former officers and directors of a fiber-optic manufacturer in a jury trial involving the defense of a claim under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the prosecution of a defamation counterclaim

Represented the former president of an international franchisor in a jury trial involving claims for fraud and breach of contract

Represented clients challenging the issuance and scope of several IRS summonses

Represented a manufacturer in a lawsuit involving claims of monopolization and attempted monopolization

Represented an insurance company in a lawsuit involving price-fixing allegations

Represented a manufacturer in an adjudicatory proceeding before the Federal Trade Commission involving price-fixing allegations

Represented a group of physicians in an adjudicatory proceeding before the Federal Trade Commission involving price-fixing allegations

Represented an international offshore drilling company in a class action lawsuit alleging a conspiracy among drilling companies to fix the wages and benefits paid to their offshore workers

Represented a steel company in a lawsuit involving an international conspiracy among graphite-electrode manufacturers to fix the price and allocate the volume of electrodes sold in the United States and elsewhere

Represented several charitable organizations in a nationwide class action lawsuit alleging a conspiracy to fix the rates of return for charitable gift annuities

Currently representing an international energy company and its affiliates in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract

Represented an international energy company’s affiliate in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract

Represented a health care provider in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract related to a stock purchase agreement

Represented a major transportation company in a proceeding to vacate an arbitration award

Represented an international energy company in an ICC arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and declaratory relief

Represented an international energy company in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and declaratory relief

Represented two international energy companies in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for declaratory relief regarding the interpretation of an oil-and-gas contract

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in connection with the confirmation of an ICDR arbitration award

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in an ICDR arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and other relief

Represented an independent energy company in a AAA arbitration involving the breach of a purchase-and-sale agreement for certain oil and gas assets

Represented a large electronics-manufacturing-services company in a AAA arbitration involving claims for breach of contract and unjust enrichment

Securities and Corporate Governance

Represented a shareholder in a lawsuit to enjoin a proposed merger in the financial services industry

Represented a technology company and several of its officers and directors in a class action lawsuit involving alleged violations of federal securities laws

Represented a corporation and two shareholders in a jury trial involving the prosecution of claims against a publicly traded medical device manufacturer and its officers and directors for securities fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract

Represented a technology company and its officers and directors in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, tortious interference, and breach of contract

Represented an energy company and its board of directors in a class action lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a merger and acquisition

Represented a luxury retailer and its board of directors in a class action lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a merger and acquisition

Represented the audit committee of a large technology-outsourcing company in connection with internal investigation of issues raised by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Complex Business Issues

Currently representing a publicly traded REIT in lawsuits involving claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, and conspiracy

Currently representing an oilfield services company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, and conspiracy

Currently representing a medical device manufacturer in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a class action lawsuit involving the alleged failure to pay royalties owed on flared natural gas

Represented a hospital in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a lawsuit involving claims under the False Claims Act

Represented an international energy company's affiliates in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract and other relief

Represented an international energy company's affiliate in a lawsuit involving claims for indemnification and other equitable relief

Represented an international energy company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract

Represented a master limited partnership in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract

Represented an international energy company in a lawsuit involving claims for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and promissory estoppel

Represented a major transportation company in a class action lawsuit involving claims for negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty arising from the tax treatment of a special dividend

Represented a publicly traded REIT in a lawsuit involving claims for tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets, and conspiracy

Represented a publicly traded REIT in a lawsuit involving claims for trespass

Represented several former officers and directors of a fiber-optic manufacturer in a jury trial involving the defense of a claim under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the prosecution of a defamation counterclaim

Represented the former president of an international franchisor in a jury trial involving claims for fraud and breach of contract

Represented clients challenging the issuance and scope of several IRS summonses